3UK006 RIS South Uist Machair and Lochs

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3UK006 RIS South Uist Machair and Lochs Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS) Categories approved by Recommendation 4.7, as amended by Resolution VIII.13 of the Conference of the Contracting Parties. Note for compilers: 1. The RIS should be completed in accordance with the attached Explanatory Notes and Guidelines for completing the Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands . Compilers are strongly advised to read this guidance before filling in the RIS. 2. Once completed, the RIS (and accompanying map(s)) should be submitted to the Ramsar Secretariat. Compilers are strongly urged to provide an electronic (MS Word) copy of the RIS and, where possible, digital copies of maps. 1. Name and address of the compiler of this form: FOR OFFICE USE ONLY . DD MM YY Joint Nature Conservation Committee Monkstone House City Road Designation date Site Reference Number Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE1 1JY UK Telephone/Fax: +44 (0)1733 – 562 626 / +44 (0)1733 – 555 948 Email: [email protected] 2. Date this sheet was completed/updated: 09 March 2006 3. Country: UK (Scotland) 4. Name of the Ramsar site: South Uist Machair and Lochs 5. Map of site included: Refer to Annex III of the Explanatory Notes and Guidelines , for detailed guidance on provision of suitable maps. a) hard copy (required for inclusion of site in the Ramsar List): yes -or- no b) digital (electronic) format (optional): Yes 6. Geographical coordinates (latitude/longitude) : 57 18 50 N 07 20 00 W 7. General location: Include in which part of the country and which large administrative region(s), and the location of the nearest large town. Nearest town/city: Benbecula South Uist Machair and Lochs, which includes Lochs Druidibeg, a' Machair and Stilligarry, lies on the west coast of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides. Administrative region: Western Isles / Na h-Eileanan an Iar 8. Elevation (average and/or max. & min.) (metres) : 9. Area (hectares) : 5019.05 Min. -1 Max. 38 Mean 6 Ramsar Information Sheet: UK13058 Page 1 of 9 South Uist Machair and Lochs Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS), page 2 10. Overview: Provide a short paragraph giving a summary description of the principal ecological characteristics and importance of the wetland. South Uist Machair and Lochs Ramsar site is a complex site along the west coast of South Uist. This area is of outstanding importance for its transition of habitats from acidic moorland to the calcareous coastal plain, and for the transition from freshwater habitats to saltwater habitats. This complex includes outstanding examples of, moving seawards, relict woodland, moorland and blanket bog, large oligotrophic lochs, acidic blacklands, wet and dry machair with eutrophic machair lochs, freshwater marsh, saltmarsh, coastal dunes and sandy rocky shores. These areas are of outstanding importance for their populations of wintering and breeding waterfowl. 11. Ramsar Criteria: Circle or underline each Criterion applied to the designation of the Ramsar site. See Annex II of the Explanatory Notes and Guidelines for the Criteria and guidelines for their application (adopted by Resolution VII.11). 1, 2, 6 Secretariat comment: The RIS provides information requiring the application of Criterion 4. This needs to be included in the next update. 12. Justification for the application of each Criterion listed in 11. above: Provide justification for each Criterion in turn, clearly identifying to which Criterion the justification applies (see Annex II for guidance on acceptable forms of justification). Ramsar criterion 1 The site contains some of the finest examples of a continual gradient from marine to freshwater habitats and is of outstanding biological and geomorphological significance through containing the largest machair system in Britain. Ramsar criterion 2 The site supports an assemblage of rare wetland plants and animals. The flora includes at least four Nationally Scarce vascular plants, slender naiad Najas flexilis , cowbane Cicuta virosa , slender-leaved pondweed Potamogeton filiformis and Baltic rush Juncus balticus . The fauna includes otter Lutra lutra and salmon Salmo salar . Ramsar criterion 6 – species/populations occurring at levels of international importance. Qualifying Species/populations (as identified at designation): Species regularly supported during the breeding season: Dunlin , Calidris alpina schinzii , 382 pairs, representing an average of 3.5% of the Baltic/UK/Ireland breeding population (2000) Species with peak counts in winter: Ringed plover , Charadrius hiaticula , 66 individuals, representing an average of 0.2% Europe/Northwest Africa of the GB population (5 year peak mean 1998/9- 2002/3) Contemporary data and information on waterbird trends at this site and their regional (sub-national) and national contexts can be found in the Wetland Bird Survey report, which is updated annually. See www.bto.org/survey/webs/webs-alerts-index.htm. Ramsar Information Sheet: UK13058 Page 2 of 9 South Uist Machair and Lochs Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS), page 3 13. Biogeography (required when Criteria 1 and/or 3 and /or certain applications of Criterion 2 are applied to the designation) : Name the relevant biogeographic region that includes the Ramsar site, and identify the biogeographic regionalisation system that has been applied. a) biogeographic region: Atlantic b) biogeographic regionalisation scheme (include reference citation): Council Directive 92/43/EEC 14. Physical features of the site: Describe, as appropriate, the geology, geomorphology; origins - natural or artificial; hydrology; soil type; water quality; water depth, water permanence; fluctuations in water level; tidal variations; downstream area; general climate, etc. Soil & geology acidic, basic, shingle, sand, peat, nutrient-rich, nutrient- poor, metamorphic, gravel, pebble Geomorphology and landscape lowland, island, coastal, slope, crags/ledges, subtidal sediments (including sandbank/mudbank), intertidal sediments (including sandflat/mudflat), open coast (including bay), pools, intertidal rock Nutrient status eutrophic, mesotrophic, oligotrophic pH acidic, alkaline, circumneutral Salinity brackish / mixosaline, fresh, saline / euhaline Soil mainly mineral Water permanence usually permanent Summary of main climatic features Annual averages (Stornoway, 1971–2000) (www.metoffice.com/climate/uk/averages/19712000/sites /stornoway.html) Max. daily temperature: 11.0° C Min. daily temperature: 5.6° C Days of air frost: 30.7 Rainfall: 1231.7 mm Hrs. of sunshine: 1216.8 General description of the Physical Features: South Uist Machair and Lochs is a complex site of outstanding importance for its transition of habitats from acidic moorland to the calcareous coastal plain, and for the transition from freshwater to saltwater habitats. This complex includes outstanding examples of relict woodland, moorland and blanket bog, large oligotrophic lochs, acidic blacklands, wet and dry machair with eutrophic machair lochs, freshwater marsh, saltmarsh, coastal dunes and sandy and rocky shores. 15. Physical features of the catchment area: Describe the surface area, general geology and geomorphological features, general soil types, general land use, and climate (including climate type). South Uist Machair and Lochs is a complex site of outstanding importance for its transition of habitats from acidic moorland to the calcareous coastal plain, and for the transition from freshwater to saltwater habitats. This complex includes outstanding examples of relict woodland, moorland and blanket bog, large oligotrophic lochs, acidic blacklands, wet and dry machair with eutrophic machair lochs, freshwater marsh, saltmarsh, coastal dunes and sandy and rocky shores. 16. Hydrological values: Describe the functions and values of the wetland in groundwater recharge, flood control, sediment trapping, shoreline stabilization, etc. No special values known Ramsar Information Sheet: UK13058 Page 3 of 9 South Uist Machair and Lochs Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS), page 4 17. Wetland types Inland wetland, Marine/coastal wetland Code Name % Area E Sand / shingle shores (including dune systems) 34.8 F Estuarine waters 0.2 O Freshwater lakes: permanent 12 Q Saline / brackish lakes: permanent 14.9 Tp Freshwater marshes / pools: permanent 11.9 U Peatlands (including peat bogs swamps, fens) 13.4 Other Other 12.8 18. General ecological features: Provide further description, as appropriate, of the main habitats, vegetation types, plant and animal communities present in the Ramsar site. South Uist Machair & Lochs is a complex site along the west coast of South Uist, which is of outstanding importance for its transition of wetland habitats from blanket bog to calcareous coastal plain, and for the transition through freshwater to saltwater habitats. The site has outstanding examples of blanket bog, large oligotrophic lochs, acidic blacklands, wet and dry machair with machair lochs, freshwater marsh, saltmarsh, coastal dunes and sandy and rocky shores. The machair areas include wet and dry machair, some of which is uncultivated. Together with the associated marsh, fen and eutrophic machair lochs the coastal plain supports a rich and diverse range of plant communities, including some locally or nationally scarce plants. The estuarine and brackish water habitats of the Howmore River, Loch Roag and the freshwater Loch Fada show one of the best examples of gradation from estuarine to freshwater habitats, along with associated gradation of flora and fauna, in Great Britain. Loch Bee is the largest brackish loch in the Western Isles and exhibits a
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